Porcelain Spine Cup – Artistic Coffee Cup

A white porcelain cup with an exposed backbone—hand-built, fully glazed, and made to be used.

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MR.NOPLAN / DEHUA WHITE PORCELAIN

Spine Cup —
White Porcelain

A familiar vessel is interrupted by an exposed sequence of vertebrae—handmade, fully glazed, and made to be used.

OBJECT 01 / SPINE CUP

01 / THE FORM

ANATOMY, EXTERNALIZED

A cup with a backbone.

The spine breaks the smooth silhouette expected of Chinese white porcelain. What normally sits within the body becomes the cup's structure, rhythm and grip.

White porcelain Spine Cup with a second cup partially visible behind it — SINGLE CUPSCULPTURAL PROFILE

A vertical stack of white porcelain Spine Cups in an interior setting — STACKEDVERTEBRAL RHYTHM

02 / THE MAKING

MADE IN DEHUA

Built in parts.
Finished as one.

Eight stages reveal where repetition ends and the maker's hand begins.

Craftsperson trimming excess porcelain from a freshly molded cup body

01 / MOLD + TRIM

01 / 08

MOLD + TRIM

Released from the mold. Trimmed by hand.

The cup body and spinal parts are cast separately. While the porcelain is still workable, excess material is cut away and every joining surface is cleaned.

Craftsperson joining a porcelain vertebral component to the cup

02 / ASSEMBLE

02 / 08

ASSEMBLE

The spine is built one section at a time.

Each vertebral element is positioned and joined by hand, turning separate cast parts into one continuous form.

Rows of assembled porcelain spine cups drying on wooden racks

03 / REST + DRY

03 / 08

REST + DRY

The joined cups rest for about one day.

On wooden racks, moisture leaves the porcelain slowly so the assembled parts can set and hold together before refinement.

Two views of a craftsperson carving and smoothing an assembled porcelain Spine Cup

04 / REFINE

04 / 08

REFINE

Every join is resolved by hand.

Small tools define the edges; a damp sponge softens the joins; a brush clears the spaces around the spine.

Spine Cup being coated with transparent glaze

05 / CLEAR GLAZE

05 / 08

CLEAR GLAZE

Gloss reveals the complete form.

A transparent glaze covers the entire interior and exterior, sealing the vessel while keeping every ridge visible.

Rows of glazed Spine Cups drying on workshop racks

06 / GLAZE DRY

06 / 08

GLAZE DRY

The glaze must dry before firing.

After glazing, the cups return to the racks. The coating is left to dry completely before each piece is handled again and loaded into the kiln.

Porcelain vessels stacked on shelves inside a kiln

07 / FIRE

07 / 08

FIRE

Above 1300°C, the parts become porcelain.

Reduction firing vitrifies the body and develops the clear gloss, locking the assembled form into one finished piece.

Rejected porcelain pieces from the production process

08 / SELECT

08 / 08

SELECT

Variation stays. Failure does not.

Each cup is checked for its rim, glaze, shape and stability. Cracks, deformation and damaged joins are rejected.

03 / SIZE + USE

White porcelain Spine Cup shown with overall width and height measurements

12.3 cm4.84 in

7.5 cm2.95 in

THE EVERYDAY OBJECT

Sculptural in profile.
Practical at the rim.

Overall width: 12.3 cm4.84 in
Overall height: 7.5 cm2.95 in
Capacity: 200 mL6.8 US fl oz
Weight: 330 g11.6 oz

Capacity is approximate. Handmade pieces may vary slightly.

“Not an anatomical replica placed on porcelain, but anatomy made into the vessel itself.”

MAKER'S MARK / CUP BASE

04 / THE MAKER

MR.NOPLAN × CERAMAGIC STUDIO

Made in Dehua.
Designed to depart from it.

MR.NOPLAN works between Chinese material culture and contemporary art. For the Spine Cup, the studio keeps Dehua's porcelain craft and clear glaze, then redirects them toward a contemporary anatomical form.

Design: MR.NOPLAN
Production: CeraMagic Studio
Origin: Dehua, China
Finish: Transparent glossy glaze, inside + out

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Porcelain Spine Cup – Artistic Coffee Cup